Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-22
VALENTINE IN THE kIR.
STRANGULAGION ENDS HIS Ca
EEER OF CHIME.

a Rambling Confession on the Ds IN
Arap-The Corpse Cut Down in 1 IT,
teen Minutes-The Brutal Attack IN
the o d Night Watchman and Ann
cation of the Match to His Kerosena
Saturated Clothing Before He Was
Dead.
AUGUSTA, GA, Jan. 2l--Preston Val.
ent'ne was hanged here at LAS O'Clock
this afternoon for the murder of William,
Nales, watchman at the stables of tho
augusta and SummervIlle railroad.
valentine was executed inside the fail
inclosure in the presence OF sew
eral hundred persons. There wera
several thousand people out
side. Valentine made a rambling
talk, confsssing his crime. He said he
was ready to die and warned all to BE-
ware OF bIs fate. He said that he had
experienced great contrition, and had
made peace with God and expected to cf,
TO heaven. His death was by strabcuias
uon. The body was let down in fftaea
minutes and was turned over to his rela4
tlves ior burial at Trenton, s.
THE CRIME.
The crime for which Valentine was
banged was cold-blooded and prempni.
tated. His victim was an old man paned
Wales, who was employed as night ateG-
man al the stables OF the street RAILWAY
company, Of this city. On the morning
OF Sept. II, 1884, the dead body of the
old watchman was found In the office of
the superintendent, so disfgured
by blows upon the head and ths
action OF fre that the features
were not recognizable. Nearly
all the clothing was burned from the body
and the flesh had in many places peeled
from the limbs. 1t was evident that the
murderer had endeavored to hide his
crime by setting fire to the building
hope that 1t might appear that an\
dental fire bad occurred, and thar
Waterman had lost his lie in the acA
dent. The fire burned out however. afr
burning few holes in the floor and par.
italy consuming the remains OF the old
man.
BURNED BEFORE DEAD.
The body had been saturated with coal
oil and the match applied before life was
extinct, and the now OF blood had been
partially Instrumental in extingulshIue
The tire on the floor. The desk in the sil.
prrintendenps office had been broken
open and robbed OF $50. No suspicion
rested on any pereon at first. but soma
days n ter attention was directed Co the
suddenly changed circumstances of VAL
entine, VINO had once worked in the sra
bles, from sbject poverty to comparative
comfort, and to the fact that Valeutine
bad at one Of the stores exchsnr ed several
dollars Ia nickels for notes. Valentino vt
once disappeared aud eluded arrest for
eighteen months, but WAS tiaaly located
by means OF u letter winch he wrote from
Lowmoor, Va, which fell into the hands
OF detectives.
THE ARREST.
He was Tested, tried and convicted,
partly upon convincing circumstantiai
evidence and partly upOn his own con-
fessious repeated and retTacted by turns.
conflicting though they were. The SD ech
of Hon. II. D. ID. TwigQs, who was ap-
pointed to defend the prisoner, who acted
without compensation, vas one of tbe
albeit efforts OF his life. Aner Valentine
was sentenced ~ be hanged on July IL
last an appeal was taken TO the Supreme
Court. lhis court refused TO interiors
and Valentine was again sentenced TO be
hanged to-day. After this last sentences
Valentine made a full confession, show
ing that the line OF procedure OF the pros.
ecutiOn was correct In every particular.
NEGRO STRUNG UP.
LITTLE Rock, ARK. Jan. 21.-In New.
port, Ark, to-day, A. b. Cha ambers was
hanged for numbering Jonas Williams In
that town In October, 1886. Both were
negroes,